It’s a Small World After All
This summer I was lucky enough to go on vacation with my sister Jackie, in honor of her graduation. We went to Ios, Greece and had an awesome time! I hate the actual act of traveling (airplanes make me sick :( ), but I love visiting other places. I love experiencing the culture, eating the food, meeting new people, and making fun memories. After the trip, I thought about how enriching it was to travel somewhere else and grow as a person. These feeling reminded me of the excitement other students described when they studied abroad. The world is an enormous place, and Vanderbilt makes it possible for its students to experience nearly every facet of it.
Most of the students I have met study abroad their junior year, but Vanderbilt is has many flexible options. You can complete classes in other countries over the summer, during the school year, or you can even take short trips during the breaks. Last semester, for instance, there was a psychology class about Harry Potter that went to London during spring break to visit notable landmarks from the books. The ELL major used to run a cooperative program with a university in Mexico wherein Vanderbilt students prepared lesson plans in collaboration with a Mexican student. Then, they traveled to Mexico and taught students there in Spanish, while taking Spanish classes. This program was discontinued because of the current situation in Mexico, but it is indicative of the vast variety of options Vanderbilt has offered, and will continue to offer in the future. At the moment, Vanderbilt offers students 120+ programs in 36 different countries, and they are open to student suggestions for future program development.
I have never studied abroad, but I hope to be able to do part of my student teaching abroad this upcoming summer. Everyone involved has been so accommodating and encouraging as I pursue this personal goal of mine. :) I encourage you to explore the destinations Vanderbilt offers, and to talk to the Global Education Office about whatever dreams you might possess.
…Until next time!